Formula E, the world's first electric Grand Prix series, is powering race cars with electricity derived from algae. Designed to showcase and inspire developments in electric car technology, race organizers have partnered with UK startup Aquafuel to supply generators powered by glycerine, a biodiesel by-product that also can be produced from saltwater algae. However, with the technology still at an early stage, the algae-based generators will need to be transported to race locations around the world. The ten-stop circuit kicked off September 13 with the Beijing ePrix, attended by 75,000 spectators.
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Electric Grand Prix cars to be powered by algae-based generators. Nat Biotechnol 32, 965 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1014-965b
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1014-965b